Film Review: ‘My Amityville Horror’

The alleged demonic possession of the Lutz family and its suburban New England manse circa 1975 doesn’t lack for fascination, having inspired over the years a feature film, a prequel, a 3D entry, a TV movie, two direct-to-video sequels and now Eric Walter’s “My Amityville Horror,” a documentary itself possessed by the haunting Daniel Lutz, who was 11 when the news broke and is still spooked decades later. Currently scaring up receipts via VOD and limited theatrical, this docu plays like an extended episode of “Unsolved Mysteries,” deficient as it is in stylistic zeal, investigative spirit and plain old scares.

Where Walter’s film succeeds is in rendering Lutz, onscreen throughout, as an indelibly prickly and unsettling figure, a textbook trauma victim oozing tough-guy rage like a gangster in “The Departed.” Lutz’s reaction to the question of whether he’d ever take a test of his paranormal veracity nearly qualifies as horror. That the family’s claims of in-home levitations, hordes of flies and black toilets were issued a year after “The Exorcist” opened wide isn’t mentioned, although an interviewed shrink allows that Lutz’s memories are “soaked in suggestion.” Tech credits aren’t supernatural.

Amen to that, Michele. The guy is obviously messed up by what happened, and I (as career military) do not blame him for refusing a polygraph (which both his parents DID pass) under the circumstances.
Interesting take on the topic and it neatly fits in with what his brother (Chris Quarentino) has been saying for a few years now. It seems George Lutz was into some weird stuff. This is not a film for materialists and other spiritually autistic types.
Fascinating watch.

I watched it on demand. I really don’t know if he is credible. He seems so angry and comes off as overacting. Why didn’t his siblings come out and back up his story? They declinded to be in the documentary. His mother and stepfather are both dead. Funny how he blows up and refuses to do a lie detector test. I think the guy is broke and needs money. He keeps saying over and over again how he doesn’t want to be known as the guy who lived in the Amityville house but wants to get his” story out. Five other families have lived in the house since the Lutz’s lived there and report no incidents of any kind. I think it’s all a big made up story for money.